'Arrow' star Stephen Amell voices frustration over actors strike: 'I do not support striking'

"Arrow" star Stephen Amell's solidarity with SAG-AFTRA actors on strike has come into question.

The actor, 42, made an appearance at GalaxyCon in North Carolina on Saturday where he spoke out against the union's decision to strike after several failed negotiations.

"I support my union, I do, and I stand with them," he said after a fan asked him about the strike.

Amell added: "I do not support striking. I don't. I think that it is a reductive negotiating tactic, and I find the entire thing incredibly frustrating.

"And I think that the thinking as it pertains to shows like the show that I'm on that premiered last night, I think it's myopic," he continued, presumably referring to his show "Heels," which had its Season 2 premiere on Friday.

USA TODAY has reached out to reps for Amell and SAG-AFTRA for comment.

"The Flash" actor released a statement on Instagram Tuesday "to ensure there is no misunderstanding about my thought and intentions."

"I understand fundamentally why we're here. My off the cuff use of the word 'support' is clearly contradictory to my true feelings and my emphatic statement that I stand with my union," he wrote in response to his phrasing that he does not "support" striking. "Of course I don’t like striking. Nobody does. But we have to do what we have to do."

With regard to his criticism of the union's efforts in negotiating, Amell said, "I'm an actor and I was speaking extemporaneously for over an hour. I emote, but I certainly don't think these issues are simple. Our leadership has an incredibly complicated job and I am grateful for all that they do.

"Despite some of my terrible early acting work, I assure you, I'm not a robot. From an intellectual perspective, I understand why we are striking, but that doesn't mean it isn't emotionally frustrating on many levels for all involved," he added.

Hollywood actors voted to strike in July, joining already-striking writers in a move that shut down the production of countless movies and TV shows.

"I went in in earnest, thinking we could avert the strike, so the gravity of this move is not lost on me," Screen Actors Guild president Fran Drescher said on July 13 at a news conference in Los Angeles announcing the strike.

"We had no choice. We are the victims here, being victimized by a very greedy entity," she added.

Hollywood writers have been on strike since May 2, holding out for improved payment contracts at a time when less-than-lucrative streaming deals are bumping up against the looming threat of artificial intelligence taking writers' jobs. Actors are also looking for better pay deals, especially from streaming services such as Netflix.

The combined SAG and Writers Guild of America strikes immediately shut down TV shows and movies currently in production; it has already delayed "Challengers," starring Zendaya, which had been set to debut at Venice International Film Festival but has now been pushed to 2024.

The strike terms also halt promotional appearances ranging from red carpet walks to media junkets. While the duration of the strike is an unknown, some reports suggest studios are willing to hold out into the fall to win concessions.

'I felt pumped':Fran Drescher says actors guild ready for a long strike

Amell's appearance at GalaxyCon does not seem to be in violation of the strike terms, because it is independent of "struck" companies and not tied to a contractual obligation with a studio.

The union's strike terms do, however, forbid discussion about the shows actors appear on. They are able to answer unrelated general questions about their life and career as a whole.

SAG president Drescher told USA TODAY last month that the union has "discussed what it would cost if it went for six months, so we're looking for the long haul. The gravity of a commitment like this is not lost on any of us. It's major. But we also see that we have no future and no livelihood unless we take this action, unfortunately."

Contributing: Kelly Lawler and Marco della Cava

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